I'm sorry. I guess I'm not following you.

Just to clarify it for me, you have gone up the stairs on the southeast end (not in the center) and pressed the button? The stairs should rise up when you press the button. If they are not rising, then something is wrong. Either there is another switch that I have never seen and you are pressing it instead or the game is glitched.

If it is glitched let me know and I can give you the console command to get past it.

Aero

Yep, the little glowing blue button, and pressed it. And it also confirmed that it had been activated, so I went back down into the middle of the room, expecting the stairs that lead up to the middle thing with the artifact on to have been activated, but nothing had happened.

I have a horrible feeling it's some sort of glitch. I kept going over and over it, and even re-loaded my old save game to try it again, but every time it doesn't work.

Ok, no worries. Quick Save (F5) and then open the console (~) and enter "setstage MG10Vahtacen 50" (without quotes). This should give you the artifact and you can move on with the quest. I'm not 100% sure advancing the quest will add the helmet to your inventory. Generally it just advances the journal. If it doesn't add the helmet, then it might glitch the rest of the quest.

So, if it doesn't, reload (F9) and try adding the helmet manually with the console. (You could also just try this instead of setting the stage if you like.)

To add the helmet, open the console and enter "player.additem 000150BA 1" (without quotes). This should add the helmet and hopefully solve the problem.

Please let me know if neither of these fixes work.

Aero

I play Oblivion on the PS3, unfortunately, so I don't think there's any way to override these things.

I've created a new character since, and I wasn't sure whether I should completely abandon my old one, but it looks as though I have to now. Shame, though.

Oh, OK. I didn't know you were on PS3. I have no solution for you then. Sorry about that.

Aero

Yeah- I love playing it on the PS3, I really do, but the fact that glitches can't be solved on it is a pain.

But thanks very much for your help nonetheless!

You're welcome. I always like to help if I can.

Aero